Piano sounding-board.



c. c. MEINZOLT.

PIANO SOUNDING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. I916.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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(L G. MEINZOLT.

PIANO SOUNDING BOARD. A 'PucAfloN FILED APR.20. 1916.

7 Patented Am 1 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 fnvemator:

' Afr UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE;

CARL CHRISTIAN MEINZOLT, 0F PADDINGTON, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

PIANO SOUNDING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Original application filed. July 21, 1914, Serial No; 852,295. Divided'and this application filed April 20, 1916.

Serial No. 92,377.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL CHRISTIAN; MEINZOLT, a subject of the King of England, residing at 96% Cameron street, Paddington, New South Wales, Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano Sounding-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has been devised with a view to increase the resonance and the volume of sound in pianofortes, and more particularly upright pianos, and is a divisional application of my prior application No. 852,295, filed July 21, 1914. I

It is an object of the invention to improve the construction of ianos in respect to the construction of the rame, sound-board and string plate, and to permit a novel arrangement of adjusting devices for the strings, whereby to facilitate the mounting and tuning of the latter.

he upper part of the sound-board 1s bent back in a reverse'curve, the curve starting at a point just above the bridge, under the highest treble strings. vThe reverse curve will be continued right across the upper part of the sound-board and the back ribs of the sound-board will be much less deep behind the curve than they will be in the center. The bridge will be the base for the pitch pins, such pins being arranged in a peculiar manner, relatively to' the stringing devices. The back frame, soundboard and string plate are positioned in the order mentioned starting from the back, and the back frame and string plate are so connected that the connecting means will be disposed out of contact with the soundboard, whereby to increase the resonance and volume of sound and to better the tone.

Carrying out these objects the invention consists of certain combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the string plate with the sound-board and back frame indicated in dotted lines to show the relative positions of the same;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the soundboard with the wooden frame at the back indicated in dotted lines as attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the sound-board attached to the wooden back frame;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the soundboard; and

Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of the soundboard and one of the fulllength ribs of the same.

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views show ing in front elevation and in section, respectively, the sound-board having applied thereto the tuning devices embodied in my Patent No. 1,257,512. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the sound-board showing the arrangement of the pitch pins with relation to the scale rib. v

In Fig. 1, A is the string plate, B the treble wrest plate and C the base wrest plate. This figure shows the location of the two wrest plates, and the curve in the bridge and in the treble plate B. The highest treble string is shown at a, the lowest treble string at a, the highest bicord string at b, the lowest unicord string at b, the base hitch plate is shown at 0,the treble hitch plate at 0.

In the sound-board D, Fig. 2, the perforations, for the passage of bolts and-other appliances, are made, as nearly as possible, on different lines of the grain of the wood, and a little larger in diameter than the bolts and the like, which traverse them, soas to reduce the resonance of the sound-board as little as possible and prevent the wood splitting. As shown in Fig. 8, each set ofthree pitch pins d" that are driven into the-treblebridge D will be arranged on the lines A-B, CD, and A'-B, C-D, Fig. 8, such lines being parallel with the lines T--T and T-T which are tangential to the curve of the scale rib J at the points where the center wire of each set crosses the rib on its way from the tuning devices to which it is attached, so that all wires in one tricord note will be substantially the same length between the rib J and the pitch pins d" on the bridge D. The treble bridge is shown at D, the bass bridge at D The upper part of the sound-board D is bent into a reverse curve toward the rear as shown in the edge views Figs. 3 and 5. The back ribs (Z are diminished in depth, where the reverse curve occurs, as shown at d. The sound-board is placed in front of the wooden frame A, and behind the string plate A to which, and to the wooden frame, it is secured in any suitable manner. The sound-board is bent rearwardly in a reverse curve in order that adequate space maybe provided for tuning devices V, Figs. 6 and 7, and which. latter devices are Specifically described in my patent hereinbefore mentioned. As shown in,

Figs. 6 and 7, the string plate A is supported in proper position upon the frame A by means of the standards P, and as shown to advantage in Fig. 7 the string plate A- board which is fiat throughout its major portion and which is bent rearward in a reverse curve adjacent to an edge thereof so that the said edge is located. in, a different plane from the said major portion.

2. An upright piano comprising a soundboard which is, flat throughout its major portion and which is bent rearward in a reverse curve adjacent to an edge thereof so that the said edge is located in a diflerent plane from the said major portion, and ribs extending across the back of the sound-board and having those portions thereof which are directly behind the bent portion of the latter shallower in depth than their central parts and conforming in shape to the curve in the sound board.

3. An upright piano comprising a soundboard which is flat throughout its major portion and which'is bent rearward in a reverse curve adjacent to an edge thereof so that the said edge is located in a different.

plane from the'said major portion, and oblique ribs extending across the back of the sound-board from edge to edge and having those endportions thereof which are di..--

Copies of this patent may be obtained for rectly behind the bent portion of the latter shallower in depth than their central parts and conforming in shape to the curve in the sound-board.

4. An upright piano comprising a soundboard which is fiat throughout its major portion and which is bent rearward in a reverse curve adjacent to an edge thereof so that the said edge is located in a different plane from said major portion, ribs extending across the back of the sound-board and having those portions thereof which are directly behind the bent portion of the latter shallower in depth than their central parts and conforming in shape to the curve in the soundboard, and a wooden frame disposed behind the sound-board and ribs and having its front face shaped so as to conform to the adjacent surfaces of the latter.

5. An upright piano comprising a soundboard which is flat throughout its major portion and which is, bent rearward in a reverse curve adjacent to an edge thereof so that the said edge is located in a different plane from the said major portion, a stringplate mounted in front of. the sound-board whereby a recess is provided between thereversely curved part of the sound-board and the string-plate, and tuning devices carried by the string-plate and disposed so as to project into the said recess.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL CHRISTIAN MEINZOLT.

Witnesses A. MASSEY, H. C. CAMPBELL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

